tiebreak

A tiebreak is a rule or procedure used to resolve a tie when two or more competitors have identical scores, results, or records. Its purpose is to produce a single winner or a definitive order without requiring ongoing play or recapitulation of entire rounds. Tiebreaks are used in sports, games, and ranking systems to determine outcomes in a fair and transparent way.

In tennis, a tiebreak is a special game played when a set reaches 6-6. The standard format is a tiebreak to seven points, with a margin of at least two points. If the set is still tied, the tiebreak continues until one player leads by two points. Many events also use variations such as a 10-point tiebreak (first to 10 with a two-point margin) to decide the final set or to expedite matches, particularly in doubles.

In chess, tie-breaks determine the winner when players finish with equal points in a tournament. Common tie-break criteria include the Buchholz and Sonneborn-Berger systems, head-to-head results, the number of wins, or performance ratings. If ties persist, rapid or blitz playoff games may be used to decide the winner or provisional rankings.

In elections and rankings, tie-breakers help establish order when candidates or entries are tied. Methods include drawing lots, coin tosses, or the application of predefined tie-break rules based on secondary criteria such as prior votes, time stamps, or additional rounds of voting. The specific method varies by organization and competition.